The United States government has hailed the Lilongwe Magistrate Court for convicting one of the most wanted ring leaders of a transitional criminal wildlife trafficking syndicate in Africa.

The convict, Lin Yun Hua, was arrested in August 2019 in connection to the recovery of a number of wildlife trophies including three live pangolins, 556 pangolin scales, 103 pieces of rhino horns, two hippo teeth, chopsticks made of ivory and processed ivory.

The Chinese national together with his wife and four Malawians have been facing charges of illegal possession of listed species, which is in line with Section 86 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act, as read with Section 110, and dealing in government trophies, as stipulated in Section 91 of National Parks and Wildlife Act.

The court however is expected to deliver its ruling on 17 July this year.

In his reaction through a statement, the US ambassador to Malawi, Robert Scott, applauded the move by the courts saying it is key in putting an end to the depletion of the country’s precious natural resources.

Scott, has since called upon all nationals especially destinations for Africa’s wildlife to take part in dealing with transitional criminal networks.